Rare CpG island methylator phenotype in ulcerative colitis-associated neoplasias

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We previously reported that a high degree of age-related methylation was found in both the dysplastic and nondysplastic mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Whether this translates into hypermethylation in UC-associated cancers (UC-Cs) is not known. METHODS: We evaluated the methylation status of 11 genes (MINT1, 2, 31, hMLH1, p16, p14, MGMT, HPP1, SFRP1, ERalpha, and LINE-1) in 48 UC-Cs, 21 UC-associated dysplasias, and 69 sporadic colorectal cancers (S-CRCs) using a quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing analysis. RESULTS: Methylation levels in UC-Cs were lower than S-CRCs for all the genes except MGMT. A methylation index based on the average of Z-scores, for type C (cancer-specific genes: MINT1, MINT2, MINT31, hMLH1, p16, and p14) was -.97 in UC-Cs and .92 in S-CRCs (P = .009). That of type A (age-related genes: HPP1, SFRP1, and ERalpha) was -1.97 in UC-Cs and 1.24 in S-CRCs (P < .001). We observed a significant difference in the incidence of CpG island methylator phenotype between UC-Cs and S-CRCs (8 of 48 [17%] and 26 of 69 [38%]; P = .022). UC-associated dysplasias had significantly higher methylation of type A gene than UC-Cs (Z-score: .07 and -1.97, respectively; P < .001). By contrast, global DNA methylation measured using a LINE-1 assay was significantly higher in UC-Cs than in S-CRCs (58.2% vs 51.0%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: DNA methylation alterations are uncommon in UC cancers. Given that both genetic and epigenetic changes are common in UC mucosa and dysplasias, we speculate that the genetic changes lead to a more aggressive clinical course than epigenetic changes.     

Enteroaggregative Escherichia aoliisolated from Chinese diarrhea patients with high-pathogenicity island of Yersinia''''xs involved in synthesis of siderophore yersiniabactin

AIM: To investigate the distribution of 12 high-pathogenicity island(HPI) genes and the relation between HPI genes and expression of yersiniabactin(Ybt) in enteroaggregative E.coli(EAggEC) isolated from Chinese diarrhea patients. METHODS: The distribution of 12 HPI genes was investigated by PCR and DNA hybridization in two prototype strains of EAggEC, EAggEC 17-2, EAggEC 042, and 6 clinical EAggEC isolates from China. The production of siderophore Ybt in HPI-positive strains was detected by reporter gene bioassay to determine the relation between HPI genes and expression of Ybt. Flow cytometry was used to detect fluorescent signal of the reporter strain that could designate production of Ybt. RESULTS: Seven strains were HPI-positive and one strain was HPI-negative. Six of the seven HPI-positive strains were inserted into asnT-tRNA site. Moreover, seven EAggEC HPI-positive strains revealed enhanced fluorescence signal but the EAggEC HPI-negative strain did not. However, there was a difference in Ybt expression condition and level among these seven EAggEC HPI-positive strains. Although UFT073 strain, the prototype strain of uropathogenic E.coli(UPEC), carried the complete HPI core part, we did not detect the expression of Ybt in it. CONCLUSION: EAggEC HPI-positive strains can express the Ybt system, but the presence of HPI core part does not mean the functional expression of Ybt.     

CpG ODN佐剂对呼吸道合胞病毒重组疫苗诱导的细胞免疫应答的作用

目的:研究CpG2216佐剂对呼吸道合胞病毒(RSV)重组蛋白疫苗诱导的细胞免疫应答的作用。方法:重组RSV疫苗G1F/M2与CpG2216佐剂混合,或与CpG2216及常规佐剂Al(OH)3混合,鼻腔(i.n.)或腹腔注射(i.p.)免疫BALB/c小鼠三次,最后一次免疫后2周杀小鼠,取脾细胞,用乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)释放法检测脾细胞特异性杀伤活性;用ELISPOT法检测分泌IFNγ-和IL-4的细胞;用流式细胞仪检测CD4+/CD8+效应及LDH记忆细胞。结果:与G1F/M2相比,CpG+G1F/M2鼻腔或腹腔注射免疫均诱导了显著的杀伤活性;而且G1F/M2+Al+CpG(i.p.)诱导的杀伤活性显著高于CpG+G1F/M2(i.p.)。ELISPOT结果显示:CpG+G1F/M2鼻腔免疫和腹腔注射免疫组的分泌IFNγ-和IL-4的淋巴细胞数量明显多于G1F/M2组;CpG+Al+G1F/M2(i.p.)组的细胞数显著多于CpG+G1F/M2(i.p.)组;且各组分泌IFNγ-的淋巴细胞数显著多于分泌IL-4的淋巴细胞,即均诱导了Th1型优势应答,有利于宿主抗病毒。流式细胞仪检测结果表明:CpG+G1F/M2(i.n.)仅诱导CD44+单阳性的细胞,而CpG+G1F/M2(i.p.)和CpG+Al+G1F/M2(i.p.)既诱导产生了CD44+单阳性细胞,也产生了CD44+CD62L+双阳性的记忆细胞。结论:CpG2216作为RSV重组疫苗G1F/M2的佐剂,可显著增强细胞免疫应答。     

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目的探讨应用颏下岛状皮瓣修复颊部软组织缺损的效果。方法对1999年6月至2010年9月南通大学附属医院口腔颌面外科收治的26例颊部软组织缺损病例(恶性肿瘤术后颊部软组织缺损22例,车祸外伤所致的颊部软组织缺损4例),应用颏下岛状皮瓣即刻修复,所采用组织瓣面积最大8cm×4cm,最小6cm×3cm。从功能恢复与缺损形态恢复的满意度评价术后修复效果。结果 26例皮瓣均完全成活,其中25例面部形态满意,1例外观欠佳。结论颏下岛状皮瓣是修复颊部软组织缺损的有效方法。     

Total expression of HLA-G and TLR-9 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

Suppressed immune status facilitates immune escape mechanisms that allow chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells to proliferate and expand. The expression of HLA-G could effectively inhibit the immune response. In immune response inhibitory signals follow activation of immune system which might be occur during bacterial or viral infection in CLL patients. In the current study we characterized two components of immune system, inhibitory molecule HLA-G with its receptor – CD85j and Toll-like receptor 9.     

Prognostic CpG Methylation Biomarkers Identified by Methylation Array in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis. We aimed to identify a panel of CpG methylation biomarkers for prognosis prediction of ESCC patients.Methods: Illumina''s GoldenGate methylation array, supervised principal components, Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox regression model were conducted on dissected tumor tissues from a training cohort of 40 ESCC patients to identify potential CpG methylation biomarkers. Pyrosequencing quantitative methylation assay were performed to validate prognostic CpG methylation biomarkers in 61 ESCC patients. The correlation between DNA methylation and RNA expression of a validated marker, SOX17, was examined in a validation cohort of 61 ESCC patients.Results: We identified a panel of nine CpG methylation probes located at promoter or exon1 region of eight genes including DDIT3, FES, FLT3, NTRK3, SEPT5, SEPT9, SOX1, and SOX17, for prognosis prediction in ESCC patients. Risk score calculated using the eight-gene panel statistically predicted poor outcome for patients with high risk score. These eight-gene also showed a significantly higher methylation level in tumor tissues than their corresponding normal samples in all patients analyzed. In addition, we also detected an inverse correlation between CpG hypermethylation and the mRNA expression level of SOX17 gene in ESCC patients, indicating that DNA hypermethylation was responsible for decreased expression of SOX17.Conclusions: This study established a proof-of-concept CpG methylation biomarker panel for ESCC prognosis that can be further validated by multiple cohort studies. Functional characterization of the eight prognostic methylation genes in our biomarker panel could help to dissect the mechanism of ESCC tumorigenesis.     

CD14 is not involved in the uptake of synthetic CpG oligonucleotides

We have previously shown that DEC205, a surface receptor expressed at high levels on CD8⁺DC, is able to capture synthetic CpG oligonucleotides (ODN) and is required for optimal responsiveness. However, even in the absence of DEC205, CD8⁺DC are able to respond to CpG ODN, albeit suboptimally. This suggested that additional receptors might contribute to the uptake of CpG ODN. CD14 represented an ideal candidate as it is expressed by DC and has been shown to bind and facilitate the uptake of CpG ODN. However, when CD14-deficient (CD14^−/−) mice and normal B6 mice were injected with CpG ODN, CD8⁺DC were equivalently activated as assessed by the upregulation of the co-stimulatory molecules CD40 and CD80. Furthermore, the level of serum IL-6 and IL-12 produced in response to CpG ODN was comparable in CD14^−/− and B6 mice. Importantly, mice deficient in both DEC205 and CD14 had comparable responses to mice lacking DEC205 alone, both in terms of cytokine production and DC activation, arguing that CD14 did not contribute to responses to CpG ODN. For CD14 to act as an uptake receptor for CpG ODN, it must first capture CpG ODN. To this end we assessed the capacity of cell surface CD14 to bind CpG ODN. Although we unequivocally confirmed that CD14 is required for the binding of its known ligand LPS, CD14 was not required for binding or responses to A-, B-, and C- Class CpG ODN. Our studies dispute the claim that CD14 is involved in CpG ODN capture.     

Physiological and comparative genomic analysis of Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans PQ33 provides psychrotolerant fitness evidence for oxidation at low temperature

Friendly environmental hydrometallurgy at low temperatures is principally promoted by Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans. Until recently, the synergy between cold tolerance and the molecular mechanism of ferrous iron (Fe²⁺) oxidation was unknown. In the present paper, we conducted a physiological and comparative genomics analysis of the new strain A. ferrivorans PQ33 to elucidate the oxidation mechanism at low temperatures, with emphasis placed on trehalose and the Rus operon. PQ33 exhibited a doubling time of 66.6 h in Fe²⁺ at pH 1.6 and 63.6 h in CuS at 5 °C. Genomic island (GI) identification and comparative genome analysis were performed with four available genomes of Acidithiobacillus sp. The genome comprised 3,298,172 bp and 56.55% GC content. In contrast to ATCC Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strains, the genome of A. ferrivorans PQ33 harbors one GI, which contains a RusB gene. Moreover, five genes of peptidyl-prolyl cis–trans isomerase (PPIases) were observed. Furthermore, comparative analysis of the trehalose operon suggested the presence of a horizontal transfer event. In addition, comparison of rusticyanin proteins revealed that RusB has better intrinsic flexibility than RusA. This comparison suggests psychrotolerant fitness and supports the genetic canalization of A. ferrivorans PQ33 for oxidation at low temperature.     

Leishmania tarentolae secreting the sand fly salivary antigen PpSP15 confers protection against Leishmania major infection in a susceptible BALB/c mice model

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a zoonotic, vector-borne disease causing a major health problem in several countries. No vaccine is available and there are limitations associated with the current therapeutic regimens. Immune responses to sand fly saliva have been shown to protect against Leishmania infection. A cellular immune response to PpSP15, a protein from the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi, was sufficient to control Leishmania major infection in mice. This work presents data supporting the vaccine potency of recombinant live non-pathogenic Leishmania (L.) tarentolae secreting PpSP15 in mice and its potential as a new vaccine strategy against L. major. We generated a recombinant L. tarentolae-PpSP15 strain delivered in the presence of CpG ODN and evaluated its immunogenicity and protective immunity against L. major infection in BALB/c mice. In parallel, different vaccination modalities using PpSP15 as the target antigen were compared. Humoral and cellular immune responses were evaluated before and at three and eight weeks after challenge. Footpad swelling and parasite load were assessed at eight and eleven weeks post-challenge. Our results show that vaccination with L. tarentolae-PpSP15 in combination with CpG as a prime-boost modality confers strong protection against L. major infection that was superior to other vaccination modalities used in this study. This approach represents a novel and promising vaccination strategy against Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis.     

Systemic immune responses to an inactivated,whole H9N2 avian influenza virus vaccine using class B CpG oligonucleotides in chickens

Commercial vaccines against avian influenza viruses (AIV) in chickens consist mainly of inactivated AIV, requiring parenteral administration and co-delivery of an adjuvant. Limitations in T helper 1 or T helper 2 biased responses generated by these vaccines emphasize the need for alternative, more efficacious adjuvants. The Toll-like receptor (TLR) 21 ligand, CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN), has been established as immunomodulatory in chickens. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the adjuvant potential of high (20 μg) and low (2 μg) doses of CpG ODN 2007 (CpG 2007) and CpG ODN 1826 (CpG 1826) when administered to chickens with a formalin-inactivated H9N2 AIV. Antibody responses in sera were evaluated in 90 specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens after intramuscular administration of vaccine formulations at 7 and 21 days post-hatch. Antibody responses were assessed based on haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and virus neutralization (VN) assays; virus-specific IgM and IgY antibody responses were evaluated by ELISA. The results suggest that the vaccine formulation containing low dose CpG 2007 was significantly more effective at generating neutralizing (both HI and VN) responses than formulations with high or low doses of CpG 1826 or high dose CpG 2007. Neutralizing responses elicited by low dose CpG 2007 significantly exceeded those generated by a squalene-based adjuvanted vaccine formulation during peak responses. A significantly higher IgM response was elicited by the formulation containing low dose CpG 2007 compared to high and low doses of 1826. Although the low dose of CpG 2007 elicited a higher IgY response than CpG 1826, the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, 2 μg of CpG 2007 is potentially promising as a vaccine adjuvant when delivered intramuscularly with inactivated H9N2 virus to chickens. Future studies may be directed at determining the mucosal antibody responses to the same vaccine formulations.